COVID-19 is still a serious threat for a lot of people with compromised immune systems and pre-existing conditions that can cause complications — and now, a new variant, complete with new COVID symptoms, is circulating.

Dr. Tyler B. Evans, CEO and co-founder of Wellness and Equity Alliance and an infectious disease and public health expert, gives the lowdown on the new strain, known as stratus or XFG.

“Stratus is a recombinant of two omicron lineages and carries a set of spike protein mutations that give it a modest edge in spreading and in partially dodging antibodies,” he says. “That’s why the World Health Organization flagged it as a ‘Variant Under Monitoring’ back on June 25. Lab studies suggest about a two-fold drop in neutralization compared to recent strains, which is a change wor

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